Amanda is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT*) with a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Stanford University and a strong background in the art and science of animal learning. She has been working professionally with dogs since 2000 and has supplemented her hands-on experience with formal training in classes, seminars and workshops given by leaders in the field of dog behavior and training.

In addition to being a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, Amanda is a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), an AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Approved Evaluator and an active member of Puget Sound Positive Trainers (PSPT).

She is a contributor to the Journal Newspapers' "Pampered Pets" column and her training advice has been featured on The Animal Rescue Site, The Bark Blog and in both City Dog and Dog Fancy magazines.

Amanda worked for more than three years as Adoption and Admissions Supervisor for The Seattle Humane Society (Bellevue, WA) and was Dog Program Manager at Homeward Pet Adoption Center (Woodinville, WA) for more than a year. In 2006, she set a record for the number of dogs saved and adopted out of Homeward Pet.

Amanda lives in Bothell with her husband and their brood of adopted dogs. She is an avid agility competitor and spends most of her free time at NADAC, CPE and AKC agility trials with her Australian Shepherd/Lab mix, Foggy and her Rat Terrier, Poe.

She is a big believer in giving back to the community and regularly contributes to organizations that work to improve the lives of human and non-human animals, including Echo Glen Children's Center in Snoqualmie, WA.

Visit Amanda's website at Sidekick Dog Training to read about her method of training, experience, and positive customer feedback.

*CPDT is a certification received from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), an international testing and certification program that requires references from a client, a colleague and a veterinarian, completion of 300+ training hours, a comprehensive exam, and ongoing education.